(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “dark day” for the United Nations following U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s criticism of Israel’s Operation Protective Edge against the Hamas terrorist group. During a U.N. Security Council meeting on Thursday, June 18, relating to a report expressing concern for the welfare of children in war zones, Ban lamented the suffering of “so many children” due to “Israeli military operations in Gaza last year.” Ban called on Israel to review “existing policies and practices” to prevent the killing and maiming of children. “The unprecedented and unacceptable scale of the impact on children in 2014 raises grave concerns about Israel’s compliance with international humanitarian law… [and] excessive use of force,” he said.

Responding to the U.N. leader, Netanyahu said Friday on Facebook, “This is a dark day for the U.N. Instead of highlighting the fact that Hamas made hostages of Gaza’s children when it fired at Israel from preschools, the U.N. has again chosen to reproach Israel, which held itself to the highest moral standards in combat, as was determined just this past week by a group of senior American and European generals. … At the same time, Hamas – a terror organization – is awarded immunity by the U.N., even though it has been proven beyond any doubt that it committed war crimes by firing from hospitals, mosques and from within U.N. facilities. It turns out there is no limit to hypocrisy.”